The present invention relates to a material handling and inspection apparatus and method, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for handling and inspecting a series of devices carried by a moving conveyor.
In the production environment, it is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve satisfactory process control using visual inspection techniques. This is particularly true when the devices being produced are of a size or complexity that makes visual inspection time consuming, and cost prohibitive if not impossible. For example, printed circuit boards having thousands of electrical connections are now commonplace. Frequently, many of these electrical connections cannot be visually inspected because they are located below components attached to the printed circuit board. Even if all the electrical connections could be visually inspected, time and cost constraints may require that only sample printed circuit boards be inspected, rather than each printed circuit board. However, sample inspections may be insufficient to achieve satisfactory process control.
Inspection time for complex devices, such as printed circuit boards, may be greatly reduced through automated inspection. An automated apparatus for determining the quality of solder connections on printed circuit boards is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,308. This apparatus utilizes x-rays to inspect solder quality on circuit boards that are loaded onto a motion table. Because an operator may load the printed circuit boards, the apparatus includes safety interlocks to prevent leakage of radiation. Although the automated apparatus greatly reduces inspection time compared to visual inspection, it is desirable to minimize inspection time, while maintaining safety, so that the inspection can be performed at production line rates, even for complex devices.
Accordingly, it could be desirable to have an improved material handling and inspection apparatus.